Olan Soule
(1909 - 1994)To fans of the "Captain Midnight" TV series of the 1950s, this bespectacled face is most familiar. Olan Soule was born February 28, 1909 in La Harpe, Illinois and began his career in radio soap operas. His voice fooled radio listeners as his slight frame and wiry look belied his booming voice. He played Aristotle "Tut" Jones on "Captain Midnight" (1954-56), the inventor of gadgets which were sometimes prototypes of actual later products. He appeared on numerous TV series and in films including: "Peggy" (1950) as Simmons, his film debut; "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) as Mr. Krull; "Monkey Business" (1952) with Cary Grant, as Hotel Clerk; "Call Me Madam" (1953) as Clerk; "Francis Joins the Wacs" (1954) as Capt. Creavy; "Daddy Long Legs" (1955) as Assistant Hotel Manager; "North by Northwest" (1959) as the Assistant Auctioneer; "Days of Wine and Roses" (1962) as Elevator Operator; "The Towering Inferno" (1974) as Johnson; "The Apple Dumpling Gang" (1975) as Rube Chick and "The Shaggy D.A." (1976) as Bar Patron, his last film. His face is one of those which pops up in hundreds of movies. I was never quite sure of the pronunciation of his name but I have always pronounced it: Olan Soo-lay. Besides "Captain Midnight" he also appeared as a regular on the TV series: "Dragnet" (1954) as Ray Murray; "My Three Sons" (1961-63) as Fred Pfeiffer and on "Arnie" (1970-72) as Fred Springer. He guest starred on many TV series including: "Battlestar Galactica" (1978) as Carmichael in a few episodes; "Little House on the Prairie"; "Mission: Impossible"; "Petticoat Junction"; "Bewitched"; "Twilight Zone" and in one memorable and hilarious episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" (1962) as John Masters the choirmaster in 'Barney and the Choir.' He died on February 1, 1994 of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California.
From Great Character Actors, Page 1.
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